#### 15.7.1 Understanding graphics requirements for Word

To produce properly scaled images in Word at the best resolution, you need BMP (for bitmap) or WMF (for vector) versions of the images Word allows images to be scaled only if the images are embedded as WMFs. Only WMF or BMP images can be embedded as WMFs in Word. DITA2Go wraps BMPs in WMFs for scaling purposes.

This is the only way to set the image scale and position in RTF.

Therefore, even though you can insert other types of graphics into a Word document, images to be transferred from your DITA document (or substituted for the images referenced by your DITA document) must be in either BMP or WMF format. Also, Word requires a viewable WMF of each image to be present in the document file, even if you “link” to the image.

Because Microsoft tinkers with the poorly documented WMF format, if your graphics do not embed correctly, you might have to make do with referencing them in Word via INCLUDEPICTURE field. See §15.7.7 Linking instead of embedding referenced graphics

The bitmap part of each image must be in BMP format; use WMF only for real vector graphics, not for bitmaps. Converting bitmap graphics to WMF increases processing time dramatically, because DITA2Go has to take each such WMF graphic apart and adjust many settings before embedding the image.

If your DITA document references graphics that are neither BMP nor WMF, you must provide BMP or WMF replacements for the graphics files.

For referenced graphics in other formats, DITA2Go puts each image file name in a Word INCLUDEPICTURE field. What Word does with these images depends on which version of Word is used to view the images. Because Word provides no way to specify scaling in an INCLUDEPICTURE field, images in formats other than BMP or WMF are seldom the proper size.

If your document references graphics that are not in BMP or WMF format, those graphics must be converted to BMPs, to embed the images in Word. They do not have to be processed every time you run the conversion, but only when graphics change.

If you want properly scaled images in Word at the best resolution, use a third-party graphics converter to make matching BMP images for referenced graphics that are in other formats. This gives the best quality.

Replacements in project directory

Put the resulting .bmp files in the project directory, and set the following options in the configuration file:

    [Graphics]
    FilePaths=None
    FileNames=Map

Replacements in original directory

As an alternative, put the resulting .bmp files in the same directory with the original graphics, and use the following options instead:

    [Graphics]
    FilePaths=Retain
    FileNames=Map

See §40.2.2.1 Substituting graphics files for RTF.

Map old extension to new

For each of the formats you are converting, specify the before and after formats. For example:

    [GraphFiles]
    eps=bmp
    gif=bmp

See §4.4 Processing graphics.

Previous Topic: 15.7 Managing graphics for print RTF

Next Topic: 15.7.2 Understanding where to locate graphics

Parent Topic: 15.7 Managing graphics for print RTF

Sibling Topics:

15.7.2 Understanding where to locate graphics

15.7.3 Limiting bitmap resolution and color depth

15.7.4 Preserving graphics scale in Word

15.7.5 Accommodating graphics in multiple versions of Word

15.7.6 Including file names of referenced graphics in Word

15.7.7 Linking instead of embedding referenced graphics

15.7.8 Embedding graphics in converted RTF files

15.7.9 Updating fields in Word to show linked graphics